Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is throwing open its doors this weekend with a free playtest available to anyone, no prior access required, running until Monday.
The timing makes sense. Expression Games has the full launch locked in for August 13, and this open playtest is the last major chance for the studio to stress-test its servers, gather player feedback, and get the word out before release day. For anyone sitting on the fence about whether this is the kind of hardcore military shooter they want in their library, this weekend is the answer.
What Hell Let Loose: Vietnam actually is
Here's the thing: this isn't a arcade-style war game. Hell Let Loose: Vietnam carries the DNA of the original Hell Let Loose, which built its reputation on slow, methodical 50v50 battles that punish lone wolves and reward coordinated squads. The Vietnam setting expands that formula with the addition of air power, specifically helicopters, across six large-scale maps designed around the conflict's jungle warfare and asymmetric tactics.
The obvious comparison is Battlefield Vietnam, but that framing sells this game short. The key here is that Hell Let Loose: Vietnam is positioning itself firmly in milsim territory, with a Steam page that leans heavily into historical accuracy and the kind of teamwork-first gameplay that fans of the original will recognize immediately. Think less run-and-gun, more deliberate movement and communication.
For players who enjoy action games with strategic depth, the 50v50 format creates a scale of battlefield chaos that most shooters simply don't attempt.
How to get into the playtest
Getting in on PC is straightforward: head to the Hell Let Loose: Vietnam Steam page and hit the Join Playtest button. The playtest is fully cross-platform, so console players can find it directly on the PlayStation Store or Xbox Store and install from there.
A few things worth knowing before you jump in:
- Voice chat has known issues in the current build
- Some AMD GPU users may experience occasional crashes or stability problems
- Performance drops can occur in certain situations
- All progression, XP, and unlocks earned during the playtest will not carry over to the full release
Expression Games is actively collecting feedback through a playtest survey linked on the Steam page, so if something feels off, that's the place to flag it.
The road to August 13
This open playtest represents a significant shift from where Hell Let Loose: Vietnam started. The game was announced in 2025 as a more modern follow-up to the WW2 original, and has been through earlier, more restricted testing phases before this weekend's fully open access. The jump from limited beta to open playtest in the weeks before launch is a confident move, suggesting Expression Games is comfortable enough with the current build to put it in front of the entire internet.
What most players miss about these pre-launch playtests is that they're also a form of live marketing. A good session this weekend, where 100 players are genuinely coordinating helicopter insertions and holding objectives under fire, does more for word-of-mouth than any trailer. A rough one, with crashes and empty servers, does the opposite. The known issues list suggests the studio is being transparent about where the rough edges are, which is the right call.
The full release on August 13 is close enough that this playtest window feels like a final tuning run rather than a major overhaul phase. For players curious about what tactical shooters have been doing since the original Hell Let Loose carved out its niche, this weekend is a zero-cost way to find out. Check out our gaming guides for more on what to expect from upcoming military shooters and how to get the most out of your time in games like this one.
